MADISON, Wis. (AP) — John Tonje scored 27 points and No. 18 Wisconsin never trailed while routing Nebraska 83-55 on Sunday to hand the Cornhuskers their sixth consecutive loss.

Wisconsin (16-4, 6-3 Big Ten) bounced back from an 85-83 loss at UCLA that snapped a seven-game winning streak.

Wisconsin grabbed a 19-2 lead less than five minutes into the game by shooting 7 of 8 from the floor and 5 of 6 on 3-pointers. Nebraska responded with a 19-5 spurt that included Wisconsin going scoreless for over six minutes, but the Badgers answered with a 16-2 run and never looked back.

John Blackwell scored 14 points and Kamari McGee added 11 for Wisconsin.

Brice Williams had 11 points to lead Nebraska (12-8, 2-7). Wisconsin transfer Connor Essegian scored eight points while facing his former team for the first time.

No. 18 Wisconsin uses 3-point barrage to beat Nebraska 83-55 as Huskers drop their 6th straight | iNFOnews.ca — Wisconsin guard John Blackwell (25) looks to pass the ball against Nebraska forward Juwan Gary (4) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Sunday, Jan. 26, 2025, in Madison, Wis. (AP Photo/Kayla Wolf)

Takeaways

Nebraska: In four of its losses during this skid, Nebraska was within one possession in the final 10 seconds of regulation time. But this game wasn’t competitive, even as the slumping Cornhuskers shuffled their lineup by giving Sam Hoiberg and Andrew Morgan their first starts of the season.

Wisconsin: The Badgers are in the midst of an eight-game stretch in which they play at home only twice, so they need to make the most of these rare Kohl Center appearances. They did just that Sunday.

Key moment

Wisconsin led 25-21 when Jack Janicki converted a steal into a dunk on the other end with less than five minutes left in the first half. Janicki’s big play sparked a 16-2 spurt that gave Wisconsin a 17-point advantage.